Nothing to do with bicycles this time.
In a dark corner of the garage I discovered a discarded and dirty old carboy – a very big, glass bottle. They were originally used for preserving or fermenting liquids but I think people use them for terrariums too. I have a fancy for turning it into a table lamp. Paul groaned when I told him this, I can’t think why.
Yesterday he gave it a good clean with the pressure washer and then drilled a hole at the side for an electric wire. I held it firmly while he carefully drilled, holding my breath and expecting the glass to shatter into a thousand pieces. Luckily it didn’t break.
We have ordered on-line a cork bung for the top opening. The biggest light fixture we can buy is 50 mm wide but the aperture is 100 mm wide. My plan is to fit the cork bung and then make a smaller hole in the cork for the light fixture. I shall buy some coloured flex to make it all look a bit snazzy. Watch this space.
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I cannot go without mentioning my youngest daughter‘s latest acquisition. Jeremiah is a stuffed polecat - a genuine piece of taxidermy. I don’t know how she can sleep at night sharing a room with him. Apparently a lot of the ‘lads’ in her RAF accommodation block have pet gerbils and hamsters. Kat thought a stuffed polecat would be easier to look after.
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| Kat made him a hat to wear |
That polecat would give me nightmares!!!
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see the finished lamp. It reminds me of a little project I did a year or so ago. I used a glass jar as a nightlight. You can buy from Amazon tiny solar powered lightbulbs that are designed to fit into the lid of a jam jar. I filled a couple of glass jars - one with coloured glass beads and the other with a vivid orange gerbera (not real) - then screwed the solar light into the top, light facing down and solar panel on top. At night on the windowsill the light is bright enough to reflect the colours in the jar. Cheap and cheerful.
I did think about just filling it with battery operated fairy lights.
DeleteThat would give me nightmares too! It reminds me of a book I gave my son one Christmas as a joke. It was all images of poor taxidermy. We spent some time laughing at the photos before we gave it to him. A lot of them had expressions like this one.
ReplyDeleteThere are some very bad examples of taxidermy out there, some of them are so bad they are funny.
DeleteI love him! I went through a stuffed animal and bird phase some years ago - everyone thought I was mad. My grand daughter reminded me of it this week end and said she always thought it was because I was born on Hallowe'en.
ReplyDeleteHaha, that's funny.
DeleteNot to my taste.Scary.
ReplyDeleteThe teeth are scary.
DeleteI like stuffed animals and looked at some at the antiques centre and photographed them recently. If I ever get back to buying something for me I think it will be a stuffed animal or two.
ReplyDeleteThey are becoming fashionable again.
DeleteHas Kat given the stuffed polecat a name yet? I would call him Paul. What does he eat?
ReplyDeleteHe is called Jeremiah and he eats Whiskas.
DeleteI love taxidermy but Mr P has forbidden it from the house. It's good that Jeremiah has a crocheted beanie, it gives him a less menacing air. And nice shot of Rick with his toy, supervising your craft sessions!
ReplyDeleteRick doesn't like me talking about taxidermy!
DeleteHe might have been better with his mouth closed. I'm still on the look-out for a Wild Boar head; but it needs to be in good condition.
ReplyDeleteJust the head?
DeleteI'm sure Jeremiah has already put a stop to any pranks the 'boys' intended to pull on your daughter !!! She has already 'out manned' them all.
ReplyDeleteYour lamp will be gorgeous. Many 'rustic' or 'country' kitchens in North America already flaunt canning jar pendants over the Island or breakfast bar.
I think Jeremiah is getting quite a fan base.
DeleteI have this strange thought that Jeremiah would look good in the lamp base.
ReplyDeleteThat's a crazy idea! But he would look so good wouldn't he?
DeleteI find Jeremiah adorable - maybe it's that one ear up, one ear down look. I tend not to like taxidermy as I am a real animal lover, and hate to think of any of them killed for sport. I'll pretend he was found after he died a natural death! I think the lamp is a great idea, and your idea of how to fit it all together sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure adorable is the word I would use for him!
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